INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN was an emphatic winner of this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup but the National Hunt Festival as expected proved to be a bonanza for Irish competitors and proved hard work for Herefordshire trained horses and their connections.
In the absence of the injured L’Homme Presse, Kings Caple trainer Venetia Williams saddled Royale Pagaille in the ‘Blue Riband’ Gold Cup event for the fourth time.
The now veteran 11 year-old was out-paced on the quicker ground finishing a never dangerous sixth, but ground permitting an appearance in next month’s Aintree Grand National could be on the cards.
Charlie Deutsch commented after the race: “He kept going, he was really enthusiastic, jumped well in the main; one or two mistakes and kept going; just out-paced.”
The Friday of the meeting saw Much Marcle trainer Tom Lacey saddle the outside Gibbs Island in the Triumph Hurdle, but he was disappointingly pulled up in the race won by 100/1 Irish outsider Poniros, trained by the meetings top trainer Willie Mullins.
In the aftermath of the race his jockey Stan Sheppard added: “He was a bit keen early on and over-raced.”
Byton trainer Kerry Lee enterprisingly ran her stable star Nemean Lion in the three-mile Stayers hurdle on the Thursday of the meeting, but tackling the stayers trip for the first time he had to give best to the multiple Festival winner Bob Olinger, ridden by Rachael Blackmore, who triumphed the favourite Teahupoo.
Racing returns to Hereford Racecourse next week with the Spring Afternoon Racing session on Wednesday, March 26.
There is scheduled to be six races with the first off at 2.30pm and last begging at 5.17pm.
